Final Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 57560-57561 [E6-16044]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 189 / Friday, September 29, 2006 / Notices
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Decision
We will evaluate the permit
application, the SHA, and comments
submitted thereon to determine whether
the application meets the requirements
of section 10(a) of the Act and NEPA
regulations. If the requirements are met,
the Service will sign the proposed SHA
and issue an enhancement of survival
permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the
Act to the Applicant for take of the
razorback sucker and bonytail chub
incidental to otherwise lawful activities
of the project. The Service will not make
a final decision until after the end of the
30-day comment period and will fully
consider all comments received during
the comment period.
Robert D. Williams,
Field Supervisor, Nevada Fish and Wildlife
Office, Reno, Nevada.
[FR Doc. E6–16052 Filed 9–28–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Final Revised Comprehensive
Conservation Plan and Environmental
Impact Statement for Kodiak National
Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) announces that a Final
Revised Comprehensive Conservation
Plan (Conservation Plan) and
Environmental Impact Statement for
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is
available for final review and comment
VerDate Aug<31>2005
20:43 Sep 28, 2006
Jkt 208001
before a Record of Decision (ROD) is
signed. This Conservation Plan was
prepared pursuant to the Alaska
National Interest Lands Conservation
Act of 1980, the National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act of
1966, as amended by the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement
Act of 1997, and the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as
amended. It describes how the Service
intends to manage Kodiak NWR over the
next 15 years.
DATES: Please submit comments on the
Final Conservation Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement on or
before 30 days from the date of
publication of this Notice. A ROD will
then be signed, and a stand-alone
Conservation Plan will be published.
ADDRESSES: The Conservation Plan is
available on compact diskette or over
the Internet. You may obtain a copy of
the CD by writing: Mikel Haase,
Planning Team Leader, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road,
MS 231, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503–
6199. You may access or download the
Conservation Plan at: www.r7.fws.gov/
nwr/planning/plans.htm. Comments
may be sent to the above address or emailed to
fws_kodiak_planning@fws.gov.
Copies of the Conservation Plan may
be viewed at the Kodiak NWR office,
1390 Buskin River Road, Kodiak,
Alaska; local libraries, and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Regional Office in
Anchorage, Alaska.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mikel Haase, (907) 786–3402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act as amended (ANILCA;
16 U.S.C. 140hh-3233, 434 U.S.C. 1602–
1784) requires a conservation plan for
all national wildlife refuges in Alaska.
The Conservation Plan for Kodiak NWR
was developed consistent with § 304(g)
of ANILCA and the National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act of
1966 as amended by the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement
Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee).
Conservation plans provide refuge
managers with a 15-year management
strategy for achieving refuge purposes
and contributing toward the mission of
the National Wildlife Refuge System,
consistent with sound principles of fish
and wildlife science, conservation, legal
mandates, and Service policies. In
addition to outlining broad management
direction on conserving fish and
wildlife and their habitats, conservation
plans identify fish and wildlifedependent recreational opportunities
available to the public, including
PO 00000
Frm 00101
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation and photography,
and environmental education and
interpretation. Conservation plans are
updated in accordance with planning
direction in § 304(g) of ANILCA, the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370), and Service
planning policy.
Background: On August 19, 1941,
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
established Kodiak NWR by Executive
Order 8857 ‘‘* * * for the purpose of
protecting the natural feeding and
breeding ranges of the brown bears and
other wildlife on Uganik and Kodiak
Islands.’’ The Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act of 1971 allowed the
conveyance of about 310,000 acres of
Refuge land to Native village
corporations.
On December 2, 1980, ANILCA added
about 50,000 acres on Afognak and Ban
Islands to Kodiak NWR and stated that
the Kodiak NWR purposes include: to
conserve fish and wildlife populations
and habitats in their natural diversity; to
fulfill international treaty obligations of
the United States with respect to fish
and wildlife and their habitats; to
provide the opportunity for continued
subsistence use by local residents; and
to ensure water quality and necessary
water quantity within the Refuge.
Since 1994, the Service has purchased
fee title to nearly 174,000 acres, and
conservation or nondevelopment
easements have been acquired on more
than 100,000 acres within the Refuge
boundaries. Today, Refuge boundaries
encompass nearly 1.8 million acres, of
which nearly 1.64 million acres (92
percent) are under Service jurisdiction.
The original Kodiak Conservation
Plan was completed in 1987 following
direction in Section 304(g) of ANILCA.
The 1997 Refuge Improvement Act
includes additional direction for
conservation planning throughout the
Refuge System. This direction has been
incorporated into national planning
policy for the Refuge System, including
refuges in Alaska. The Revised
Conservation Plan and Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) meets the
requirements of both ANILCA and the
Refuge Improvement Act. It provides
broad general direction for managing
Kodiak NWR for the next 15 years and
contains the vision, goals, and
objectives of the Refuge. Except for
alternative ways of addressing the
issues, this plan substantially follows
the direction of the original plan.
Traditional means of access and uses of
the Refuge would be maintained under
all alternatives.
Issues raised during scoping and
addressed in the Conservation Plan are
E:\FR\FM\29SEN1.SGM
29SEN1
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 189 / Friday, September 29, 2006 / Notices
(1) how to manage public use, given
limited access and projected growth in
demand, to continue providing
opportunities for appropriate and
quality use while preventing significant
impacts to Refuge resources; and (2)
what types of bear viewing
opportunities should be available on the
Refuge and how should these
opportunities be managed while
protecting bears and their habitats.
The EIS evaluates four alternatives for
management of Kodiak NWR, primarily
focusing on four areas: (1) Protection of
bear concentration areas; (2)
management of public use cabins; (3)
management of camping areas; and (4)
management of O’Malley River. These
alternatives follow the same general
management direction but provide
different ways of addressing the issues.
Alternative A (Current Management):
Management of the Refuge would
continue to follow the 1987
conservation plan and record of
decision as modified by subsequent
step-down plans, including fisheries
and public use management plans.
Private and commercial uses of the
Refuge would continue at current levels.
Refuge management would continue to
reflect existing laws, executive orders,
regulations, and policies governing
Service administration and operation of
the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Regulations would be adopted to
seasonally limit public use (only
commercial users are currently
restricted) of nine bear concentration
areas; to close two bear denning areas to
snowmachine use; and to restrict
camping near public use cabins and
administrative facilities. Seven existing
public use cabins would be maintained,
two additional cabins could be
constructed, and cabins on newly
acquired lands could be managed for
public use if located on appropriate
sites. Impacts at heavily used camping
areas would be managed by restricting
use through regulations. The seasonal
closure to all users at O’Malley River
would continue; the site would not be
open to bear viewing. Refuge lands
would continue to be managed under
Moderate (44,627 acres) and Minimal
(1,578,700 acres) management
categories, with Special River
Management as an option for rivers
receiving higher levels of public use.
Alternative B: Much of the general
management direction in Alternative A
would continue. Goals and objectives
for increasing our knowledge of wildlife
and habitat needs and relationships
would be established. Public use
monitoring would facilitate wildlifedependent recreation, subsistence, and
other traditional uses. Regulations
VerDate Aug<31>2005
20:43 Sep 28, 2006
Jkt 208001
proposed in Alternative A would not be
promulgated; voluntary guidelines for
public use of bear concentration areas
would be developed. These guidelines
would replace current use restrictions
on commercial users. The number of
public use cabins would be allowed to
expand as demand increases, either by
constructing new cabins or by managing
cabins on newly acquired lands for
public use. Food storage containers,
latrines, temporary electric fences, and
other minor improvements could be
provided if needed at popular camping
areas to reduce impacts. The O’Malley
River closure would be modified to
allow a guide to operate a formal bear
viewing program under a refuge special
use permit. The permit would be
awarded competitively. Refuge lands
would continue to be managed in
Moderate and Minimal management
categories as in Alternative A. The
Special River Management category
would be eliminated.
Alternative C: Much of the general
management direction in Alternative A
would continue, although some specific
directions and actions occurring under
current management would be altered or
not pursued in this alternative. As with
Alternative B, goals and objectives for
increasing our knowledge of wildlife
and habitat needs and relationships
would be established. Public use
monitoring would facilitate wildlifedependent recreation, subsistence, and
other traditional uses. Voluntary
guidelines for public use of bear
concentration areas would be
developed. These guidelines would
replace use restrictions on commercial
users. Seasonal closure or day-use-only
restrictions could be proposed for some
bear concentration areas, based on ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of
voluntary use guidelines in these areas.
Two bear denning areas would be
closed to snowmachine use by
regulation. The public use cabin
program would be phased out over time.
Impacts at heavily used camping areas
would be managed by restricting use
through regulations. Regulations would
be adopted to restrict camping near
public use cabins and administrative
facilities. The O’Malley River closure
would be modified to allow the Service,
in cooperation with the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game, to
operate a formal bear viewing program.
Bear viewing permits would be awarded
to individuals by lottery. The Moderate
Management category would be reduced
by 11,192 acres; the acreage in Minimal
Management would increase by an
equivalent amount. The Special River
PO 00000
Frm 00102
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
57561
Management category would be
eliminated.
Alternative D (Preferred Alternative):
Much of the general management
direction in Alternative A would
continue, although some specific
directions and actions occurring under
current management would be altered or
not pursued in this alternative. As in
Alternatives B and C, goals and
objectives for increasing our knowledge
of wildlife and habitat needs and
relationships would be established.
Public use monitoring would facilitate
wildlife-dependent recreation,
subsistence, and other traditional uses.
Voluntary guidelines for public use of
bear concentration areas would be
developed. These guidelines would
replace use restrictions on commercial
users. Day-use-only restrictions could be
proposed for some bear-concentration
areas based on on-going evaluation of
the effectiveness of voluntary use
guidelines in these areas. One bear
denning area would be closed to
snowmachine use by regulation. Seven
public use cabins would be maintained,
two additional cabins could be
constructed, and cabins on newly
acquired land could be managed for
public use if located on appropriate
sites. Regulations would be adopted to
restrict camping near public use cabins
and administrative facilities. Foodstorage containers, latrines, temporary
electric fences, and other minor
improvements could be provided if
needed at popular camping areas to
reduce impacts. The O’Malley River
closure would be modified to allow a
formal bear viewing program combining
agency-supervised use (allocated to the
public by lottery) with guided use
(offered to the public by qualified
guides selected through a competitive
process and operating under a refuge
special use permit). The Moderate
Management category would be reduced
by 12,579 acres; the acreage in Minimal
Management would increase by an
equivalent amount. The Special River
Management category would be
eliminated.
Dated: September 8, 2006.
Thomas O. Melius,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, Anchorage, Alaska.
[FR Doc. E6–16044 Filed 9–28–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
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29SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 189 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57560-57561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16044]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Final Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental
Impact Statement for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that a
Final Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Conservation Plan) and
Environmental Impact Statement for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is
available for final review and comment before a Record of Decision
(ROD) is signed. This Conservation Plan was prepared pursuant to the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as amended. It describes how
the Service intends to manage Kodiak NWR over the next 15 years.
DATES: Please submit comments on the Final Conservation Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement on or before 30 days from the date of
publication of this Notice. A ROD will then be signed, and a stand-
alone Conservation Plan will be published.
ADDRESSES: The Conservation Plan is available on compact diskette or
over the Internet. You may obtain a copy of the CD by writing: Mikel
Haase, Planning Team Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East
Tudor Road, MS 231, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503-6199. You may access or
download the Conservation Plan at: www.r7.fws.gov/nwr/planning/
plans.htm. Comments may be sent to the above address or e-mailed to
fws_kodiak_planning@fws.gov.
Copies of the Conservation Plan may be viewed at the Kodiak NWR
office, 1390 Buskin River Road, Kodiak, Alaska; local libraries, and
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Anchorage,
Alaska.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mikel Haase, (907) 786-3402.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act as amended (ANILCA; 16 U.S.C. 140hh-3233, 434 U.S.C.
1602-1784) requires a conservation plan for all national wildlife
refuges in Alaska. The Conservation Plan for Kodiak NWR was developed
consistent with Sec. 304(g) of ANILCA and the National Wildlife Refuge
System Administration Act of 1966 as amended by the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee).
Conservation plans provide refuge managers with a 15-year management
strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the
mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound
principles of fish and wildlife science, conservation, legal mandates,
and Service policies. In addition to outlining broad management
direction on conserving fish and wildlife and their habitats,
conservation plans identify fish and wildlife-dependent recreational
opportunities available to the public, including opportunities for
hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and
environmental education and interpretation. Conservation plans are
updated in accordance with planning direction in Sec. 304(g) of
ANILCA, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-
4370), and Service planning policy.
Background: On August 19, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
established Kodiak NWR by Executive Order 8857 ``* * * for the purpose
of protecting the natural feeding and breeding ranges of the brown
bears and other wildlife on Uganik and Kodiak Islands.'' The Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 allowed the conveyance of about
310,000 acres of Refuge land to Native village corporations.
On December 2, 1980, ANILCA added about 50,000 acres on Afognak and
Ban Islands to Kodiak NWR and stated that the Kodiak NWR purposes
include: to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in
their natural diversity; to fulfill international treaty obligations of
the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats;
to provide the opportunity for continued subsistence use by local
residents; and to ensure water quality and necessary water quantity
within the Refuge.
Since 1994, the Service has purchased fee title to nearly 174,000
acres, and conservation or nondevelopment easements have been acquired
on more than 100,000 acres within the Refuge boundaries. Today, Refuge
boundaries encompass nearly 1.8 million acres, of which nearly 1.64
million acres (92 percent) are under Service jurisdiction.
The original Kodiak Conservation Plan was completed in 1987
following direction in Section 304(g) of ANILCA. The 1997 Refuge
Improvement Act includes additional direction for conservation planning
throughout the Refuge System. This direction has been incorporated into
national planning policy for the Refuge System, including refuges in
Alaska. The Revised Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) meets the requirements of both ANILCA and the Refuge
Improvement Act. It provides broad general direction for managing
Kodiak NWR for the next 15 years and contains the vision, goals, and
objectives of the Refuge. Except for alternative ways of addressing the
issues, this plan substantially follows the direction of the original
plan. Traditional means of access and uses of the Refuge would be
maintained under all alternatives.
Issues raised during scoping and addressed in the Conservation Plan
are
[[Page 57561]]
(1) how to manage public use, given limited access and projected growth
in demand, to continue providing opportunities for appropriate and
quality use while preventing significant impacts to Refuge resources;
and (2) what types of bear viewing opportunities should be available on
the Refuge and how should these opportunities be managed while
protecting bears and their habitats.
The EIS evaluates four alternatives for management of Kodiak NWR,
primarily focusing on four areas: (1) Protection of bear concentration
areas; (2) management of public use cabins; (3) management of camping
areas; and (4) management of O'Malley River. These alternatives follow
the same general management direction but provide different ways of
addressing the issues.
Alternative A (Current Management): Management of the Refuge would
continue to follow the 1987 conservation plan and record of decision as
modified by subsequent step-down plans, including fisheries and public
use management plans. Private and commercial uses of the Refuge would
continue at current levels. Refuge management would continue to reflect
existing laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies governing
Service administration and operation of the National Wildlife Refuge
System. Regulations would be adopted to seasonally limit public use
(only commercial users are currently restricted) of nine bear
concentration areas; to close two bear denning areas to snowmachine
use; and to restrict camping near public use cabins and administrative
facilities. Seven existing public use cabins would be maintained, two
additional cabins could be constructed, and cabins on newly acquired
lands could be managed for public use if located on appropriate sites.
Impacts at heavily used camping areas would be managed by restricting
use through regulations. The seasonal closure to all users at O'Malley
River would continue; the site would not be open to bear viewing.
Refuge lands would continue to be managed under Moderate (44,627 acres)
and Minimal (1,578,700 acres) management categories, with Special River
Management as an option for rivers receiving higher levels of public
use.
Alternative B: Much of the general management direction in
Alternative A would continue. Goals and objectives for increasing our
knowledge of wildlife and habitat needs and relationships would be
established. Public use monitoring would facilitate wildlife-dependent
recreation, subsistence, and other traditional uses. Regulations
proposed in Alternative A would not be promulgated; voluntary
guidelines for public use of bear concentration areas would be
developed. These guidelines would replace current use restrictions on
commercial users. The number of public use cabins would be allowed to
expand as demand increases, either by constructing new cabins or by
managing cabins on newly acquired lands for public use. Food storage
containers, latrines, temporary electric fences, and other minor
improvements could be provided if needed at popular camping areas to
reduce impacts. The O'Malley River closure would be modified to allow a
guide to operate a formal bear viewing program under a refuge special
use permit. The permit would be awarded competitively. Refuge lands
would continue to be managed in Moderate and Minimal management
categories as in Alternative A. The Special River Management category
would be eliminated.
Alternative C: Much of the general management direction in
Alternative A would continue, although some specific directions and
actions occurring under current management would be altered or not
pursued in this alternative. As with Alternative B, goals and
objectives for increasing our knowledge of wildlife and habitat needs
and relationships would be established. Public use monitoring would
facilitate wildlife-dependent recreation, subsistence, and other
traditional uses. Voluntary guidelines for public use of bear
concentration areas would be developed. These guidelines would replace
use restrictions on commercial users. Seasonal closure or day-use-only
restrictions could be proposed for some bear concentration areas, based
on on-going evaluation of the effectiveness of voluntary use guidelines
in these areas. Two bear denning areas would be closed to snowmachine
use by regulation. The public use cabin program would be phased out
over time. Impacts at heavily used camping areas would be managed by
restricting use through regulations. Regulations would be adopted to
restrict camping near public use cabins and administrative facilities.
The O'Malley River closure would be modified to allow the Service, in
cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, to operate a
formal bear viewing program. Bear viewing permits would be awarded to
individuals by lottery. The Moderate Management category would be
reduced by 11,192 acres; the acreage in Minimal Management would
increase by an equivalent amount. The Special River Management category
would be eliminated.
Alternative D (Preferred Alternative): Much of the general
management direction in Alternative A would continue, although some
specific directions and actions occurring under current management
would be altered or not pursued in this alternative. As in Alternatives
B and C, goals and objectives for increasing our knowledge of wildlife
and habitat needs and relationships would be established. Public use
monitoring would facilitate wildlife-dependent recreation, subsistence,
and other traditional uses. Voluntary guidelines for public use of bear
concentration areas would be developed. These guidelines would replace
use restrictions on commercial users. Day-use-only restrictions could
be proposed for some bear-concentration areas based on on-going
evaluation of the effectiveness of voluntary use guidelines in these
areas. One bear denning area would be closed to snowmachine use by
regulation. Seven public use cabins would be maintained, two additional
cabins could be constructed, and cabins on newly acquired land could be
managed for public use if located on appropriate sites. Regulations
would be adopted to restrict camping near public use cabins and
administrative facilities. Food-storage containers, latrines, temporary
electric fences, and other minor improvements could be provided if
needed at popular camping areas to reduce impacts. The O'Malley River
closure would be modified to allow a formal bear viewing program
combining agency-supervised use (allocated to the public by lottery)
with guided use (offered to the public by qualified guides selected
through a competitive process and operating under a refuge special use
permit). The Moderate Management category would be reduced by 12,579
acres; the acreage in Minimal Management would increase by an
equivalent amount. The Special River Management category would be
eliminated.
Dated: September 8, 2006.
Thomas O. Melius,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska.
[FR Doc. E6-16044 Filed 9-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
